Opened July 27, 1837, as the Charlotte Branch of the U.S. Mint, the building produced gold coins until May 1861, when it was seized by the Confederacy. Confederate coinage continued briefly until October, after which the mint was converted into a hospital and military offices. Reopened as a federal assay office from 1867 to 1913, it tested and valued raw gold but did not strike coins.

After serving the Red Cross and Charlotte Women’s Club, the building was relocated in 1933. In 1936, it reopened as the Mint Museum of Art, preserving the legacy of Charlotte’s minting history in a new cultural role.

Image of the Charlotte Mint building in the early 1900s

The return home of the 16th Massachusetts Infantry, July 27, 1864

Image via LOC, no known restrictions

On July 27, 1777, The Marquis de Lafayette, at only nineteen years old, arrived in Philadelphia.

Teddy’s Rough Riders. Chromolithograph by Stoopendaal. Published in Truth, July 27, 1898.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On July 27, 1789, the United States Department of State, originally named the Department of Foreign Affairs was formed.

In 1800 the department was moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.

Image: U.S. State Department building in Washington D.C. in 1835 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

American Red Cross – Supplies

Happy “Sammies” receive comfort kits from the Red Cross. Everything was done to assure the “Sammies” that everything was being done to make them comfortable when they take up the fight for Uncle Sam.

Photo shows U.S. soldiers receiving comfort kits in the American Red Cross Headquarters at Fifth avenue and 37th street, New York City. As soon as the “Sammies” received their kits they scanned the contents and found within almost every little item that tends to make them comfortable. July 27, 1917

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Orville Wright and Lieutenant Frank Lahm of the United States Signal Corps complete a world record flight at Fort Myer on July 27th when they flew for more than 1 hour and 12 minutes.

– July 27, 1909

Image: Wright Military Flyer in 1909, Lt. Benjamin D. Faulis; Wilbur Wright, Lt. Frank P. Lahm and Orville Wright.

An armistice agreement to end the Korean War is signed by the United Nations, North Korea and Chinese officials in Panmunjom on July 27, 1953.

Image: General Mark W. Clark, Far East commander, signs the Korean armistice agreement on July 27, 1953, after two years of negotiation via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

On July 27, 1937, a seven-part radio series of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables made its debut. The series was an adaptation written, directed, hosted and starred by Orson Welles.

Image of Orson Welles in the late 1930s via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

In 1925, Francis P. Houdina set out to revolutionize driving with his radio-controlled car, the American Wonder. On July 27, the vehicle—steered remotely from a trailing car—wove through Manhattan’s traffic, shifting gears and sounding its horn ‘as if a phantom hand were at the wheel.’ But the spectacle spiraled into chaos when it collided with a sedan full of photographers. Later that fall, Houdina staged a calmer reprise on Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue (shown here), where the driverless sedan glided past wagons and startled onlookers without incident. These trials were part of Houdina’s promotional campaign for his vision of a mechanized Wonderland—a future where machines responded to invisible commands with ghostlike precision.

Image via Alamy

A B-52 with “What’s Up Doc?” nose art

On July 27, 1940 Bugs Bunny made his official debut in the animated short “A Wild Hare”

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

“Boston Baby Clinic held July 27, 1920, was the first of series of clinics conducted by the Buffalo Chapter in its branches in Erie County, N.Y. A group outside the clinic”

via Library of Congress, no known restrictions

Burning of the Steamship Golden Gate, July 27, 1862

On her Voyage from San Francisco to Panama having on board 1,400,000 in treasure, 242 Passengers and a Crew of 95 persons of whom only, about 100 are known to have been saved.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Olympic figure skating champion, Peggy Fleming, was born on July 27, 1948 in San Jose, California.

Image of Peggy Fleming when she won the World Figure Skating Championship in Davos, Switzerland in 1966 via Alamy

American League RBI leader of 1955, Ray Boone, was born on July 27, 1923 in San Diego, California.

During WWII he served with the U.S. Navy at the San Diego Naval Training Center.

He was a descendant of Daniel Boone.

Ray’s son and grandsons also played in the Majors.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain